It’s October 12, 1979, the first day of the NBA season. The league has introduced something called a three-point line – a move that, with time, will radically change the geography of offense. For now, though, it’s something of an enigma.
Boston is hosting Houston, one of the early games on the schedule for the league’s opening night. In a game that features Larry Bird and Cedric Maxwell, it’s a young guard from Villanova who steals the show.
Late in the first quarter, Chris Ford hits the first three-pointer in NBA history.
Six different players hit threes that night. Because Ford’s three came in the first quarter of the early slate of games, it’s believed his shot was the first in history. ML Carr explained as such:
“The team was pretty excited that Chris opened a new era…I guarantee if you interviewed Chris now he would say, ‘I didn’t realize what I was starting.’”
Ford shot a blistering 42.7 percent from three that first season on 2.2 attempts per game. The…